Actor Jake Cuenca answered a Twitter user who criticized him for deciding to speak up for all the Filipino health workers. The netizen said that artists like Cuenca wouldn’t be able to relate to the sufferings of the people in this pandemic as they have a steady income.
Medical workers have appealed for Metro Manila to be placed back under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) but Sen. Cynthia Villar didn’t approve of their request.
“Hindi na siguro. Pagbutihin nila trabaho nila,” the Senator said over radio station DWIZ.
The senator said that people will die of hunger if Metro Manila will again be placed under ECQ, which would mean a restriction of movement and the limiting of business operations.
“Hindi pwede isara ang ekonomiya kasi kung hindi mamamatay sa (COVID-19), mamatay sa gutom ang mga tao,” Villar said.
She said the government will build more facilities to treat those with mild virus cases and those showing no symptoms.
Cuenca defended the call of health workers by reacting to Sen. Villar’s statement saying that the senator shouldn’t have ridiculed the efforts of the health workers in this pandemic.
He mentioned that people should be thanking the health workers instead because they put their lives on the line just to ensure that the Filipino people will be safe from the virus.
Maam wag natin baliwalain ang trabahong ginagawa ng mga health care workers natin, sila nga ang nag bubuwis buhay para satin lahat ngayon pandemia. Dapat silang pasalamatan. https://t.co/waMMszMMrk
— Jake Cuenca (@ijakecuenca) August 1, 2020
“Maam wag natin baliwalain ang trabahong ginagawa ng mga health care workers natin, sila nga ang nag bubuwis buhay para satin lahat ngayon pandemia. Dapat silang pasalamatan,” Cuenca wrote.
He also said that the needs of the health workers should also be given attention.
Give our health care worker/frontliners what they need. Their needs should be prioritized. https://t.co/ix63PgG6Me
— Jake Cuenca (@ijakecuenca) August 1, 2020
“Give our health care worker/frontliners what they need. Their needs should be prioritized,” he said.
Many netizens sided with Cuenca applauding him for the care and bravery that he showed.
They said that Villar didn’t show even just a bit of sympathy towards our health workers and only selfishly cared about her business.
Some netizens also defended the Villar’s statement and decided to bash Cuenca for criticizing the senator.
One netizen mentioned the actor should have just agreed with Villar. He said that artists would not understand the suffering and needs of the people as they are able to provide for themselves.
“Agree with senator villar. Di niyo ramdam ang hirap ng mga pinoy dahil may mga ipon kayong mga artista,” the basher said.
Jake Cuenca calmly responded to the basher and explained that the savings that he earned as an artist are being used to help those people who are in need.
Yes savings that we also use to help our frontliners, Kapamilyas and other Filipinos who are need. Rather than trolling maybe you should put your energy into helping other people instead. https://t.co/upiXjuoJvq pic.twitter.com/U3ryTp7fmR
— Jake Cuenca (@ijakecuenca) August 2, 2020
“Yes savings that we also use to help our frontliners, Kapamilyas and other Filipinos who are [in] need.”
“Rather than trolling maybe you should put your energy into helping other people instead,” Cuenca said.
His post was accompanied by pictures of health workers and employees of various establishments with food and donations that seemed like it was offered by Cuenca.
The actor showed that even though he is privileged enough to be financially stable, he remains humble and grounded. He still helps the people in any way that he can.
Meanwhile, Villar later clarified that it is government officials and not medical frontliners that she was referring to in her earlier statement about “working harder” as she rejected the appeal of health workers to enforce stricter quarantine measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have to work harder and better, but I am not referring in particular to the medical workers–our frontliners. We are referring to all of us and DOH (Department of Health) and PhilHealth in particular,” Villar said.
Jake Cuenca is one of the celebrities who has been vocal in fighting for the ABS-CBN network despite the network releasing him as a talent.
Media giant ABS-CBN has already suspended the management/talent contract of its artists. This happened after the network decided to stop its current affairs shows, TV series, and some entertainment programs because the House committee voted in favor of the network’s shutdown.
Some netizens on social media assumed that Jake is being paid by ABS-CBN in exchange for his support. But the male star denied this saying it was his own decision to support the network and admitted that his contract is actually canceled now.
He retweeted the post of a netizen and said, “Nothing not a cent. In fact my contract is cancelled I might have even paid to go to qc today for gas. I went to abscbn on my own free will.”
Jake also explained why he keeps fighting for the network which he considers as his home. He revealed that the media network boosted his career just as he was losing hope.
“I’ve been in abs for 14 years straight. Before I got here I was just about to migrate to Spain because I couldn’t even call acting a career till ABS-CBN gave me a shot. I’m fighting for abs-cbn, ABS-CBN is my home,” he said.
Jake Cuenca starred in Tayong Dalawa (2009) where he gained recognition from the audience and critics. He portrayed David Dave Garcia Jr (Dave), a soldier in the Philippine army. In the series, he was in a love triangle with Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu. The series was also aired in many countries in Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, and Africa.
He was part of the main cast in the Filipino remake of Green Rose as Edward in 2011. The film had also the appearance of top stars including Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis, and Alessandra De Rossi.
From 2015–2016, he portrayed the role of Juan, one of the Samonte brothers in the romantic drama series Pasión de Amor, a Philippine adaptation of Telemundo-produced Pasión de Gavilanes, one of the most famous telenovelas.
Jake won his first best actor award at the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) in New York in 2014 for his performance in Diane Ventura’s Mulat (Awaken). He was honored Best actor at 5th Inquirer Indie Bravo Awards in 2014 and at 7th Ani Ng Dangal Awards in 2015.
